Hello Eamonn, hello! : Sat Jun 04, 2016 8:31 pm  

I held off posting last night as every sentence I could come up with featured words ending in 'king' and 'ite'. Last night was simply woeful, as in worst I've ever seen in 35 years woeful. Another lifeless, throwaway performance from a group of players who clearly want their coach sacked and have absolutely no pride in themselves, their teammates or the club. The similarities with the situation at Everton are there for all to see. Unhappy fans, unhappy players, a deluded coach making a complete mockery of himself in interviews and results showing the mess the club is in. How McManus has managed to reach Saturday evening without sacking everyone at the club is beyond me. If there is any intention to make the club a success, Cunningham has to be gone by Monday. If he's allowed to once again insult the club's fans and talk rubbish in interviews after his players delivered another limp performance the club really is in trouble.

But what annoys me the most is something different. It's not Alex Walmsley's body language or efforts in games, it's not the prospect of the worst player in SL getting a contract extension with us, it's the fans. The move from Knowsley Road to the Library killed the very soul of the club and this manifests itself most in the support, or lack of it. I've never known a sporting venue to be so devoid of spirit and passion. If we'd put in a string of performances like we have this season, there would have been sit-ins, riots, mass season ticket burnings and proper sack the board chants. All that happened last night was a few half hearted boos when KC came on the big screen. It seriously wouldn't surprise me if McManus had absolutely no idea of how unhappy everyone is with the club as the fans are so silent. McManus is going to be able to get away with it, people just won't make enough noise to force the change. It wouldn't surprise me if we're in Bradford's position in 2 years time and no one associated with the club could feel hard done to.

Re: Hello Eamonn, hello! : Sat Jun 04, 2016 9:19 pm  

[quote="Saddened!"]I've never known a sporting venue to be so devoid of spirit and passion.quote]

I made a similar quote last night with my son. Having watched many many games between the two sides (yes, including the 80-0 at Knowsley Rd) ive not been to an away ground for a long time and not heard the home fans at some point. Watching it back on the tv, you can hear a saints chant at the beginning but that was it! I'm not going to comment on your team or form as Ive not watched you enough this year but you guys have not kicked on with the new ground and that has to be a problem for the board to sort out.

Re: Hello Eamonn, hello! : Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:30 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

I held off posting last night as every sentence I could come up with featured words ending in 'king' and 'ite'. Last night was simply woeful, as in worst I've ever seen in 35 years woeful. Another lifeless, throwaway performance from a group of players who clearly want their coach sacked and have absolutely no pride in themselves, their teammates or the club. The similarities with the situation at Everton are there for all to see. Unhappy fans, unhappy players, a deluded coach making a complete mockery of himself in interviews and results showing the mess the club is in. How McManus has managed to reach Saturday evening without sacking everyone at the club is beyond me. If there is any intention to make the club a success, Cunningham has to be gone by Monday. If he's allowed to once again insult the club's fans and talk rubbish in interviews after his players delivered another limp performance the club really is in trouble.

But what annoys me the most is something different. It's not Alex Walmsley's body language or efforts in games, it's not the prospect of the worst player in SL getting a contract extension with us, it's the fans. The move from Knowsley Road to the Library killed the very soul of the club and this manifests itself most in the support, or lack of it. I've never known a sporting venue to be so devoid of spirit and passion. If we'd put in a string of performances like we have this season, there would have been sit-ins, riots, mass season ticket burnings and proper sack the board chants. All that happened last night was a few half hearted boos when KC came on the big screen. It seriously wouldn't surprise me if McManus had absolutely no idea of how unhappy everyone is with the club as the fans are so silent. McManus is going to be able to get away with it, people just won't make enough noise to force the change. It wouldn't surprise me if we're in Bradford's position in 2 years time and no one associated with the club could feel hard done to.

The problem is, given that McManus & Rush had the misguided confidence and trust not only to give KC the job in the first place but to also give him an extension before he was proven, then can you trust their judgment in picking a better replacement for him?
If and when he goes, Long and the rest of them should go with him.

In terms of the team, we have a mixture of players who are just and never will be good enough and reasonable players who are playing poorly coupled with poor tactics and boring rugby.
As you say a bit like Everton (I'm an armchair fan of them). On paper they have some good players but on grass they have lost any mojo they might have had.

Back to Saints, I'm not sure a new coach can fix it with the existing squad or if they are just demoralized and disinterested under KC and just need new leadership. I think the truth is its the former and 6 or 7 players have to go at the end of the season such as Owens, Wilkin, Turner, Richards, Vea, Burns & Peyroux. My mind is not made up about Thompson and Tasi but they need to improve or go or indeed some of the kids such as Spedding (I've not seen much of the others) but Ashworth and Knowles should not be tainted by KC's "tutelage" yet.

So, I've got 4 undecided plus about 6 kids plus others which would be good enough under a good coach e.g. Lomax, Makinson, Percival, Swift, Walsh, Roby, Walmsley, Armor, Greenwood, Fages, Savelio, LMS, Dawson, (probably as he has much improved) and also McDonnell as a back up only.
Can't fault LMS for effort but he is seriously lacking a rugby brain or indeed any sort of brain, even though I like him a lot !!

Re: Hello Eamonn, hello! : Sat Jun 04, 2016 11:21 pm  

saint at wire wrote:

The problem is, given that McManus & Rush had the misguided confidence and trust not only to give KC the job in the first place but to also give him an extension before he was proven, then can you trust their judgment in picking a better replacement for him?
If and when he goes, Long and the rest of them should go with him.

In terms of the team, we have a mixture of players who are just and never will be good enough and reasonable players who are playing poorly coupled with poor tactics and boring rugby.
As you say a bit like Everton (I'm an armchair fan of them). On paper they have some good players but on grass they have lost any mojo they might have had.

Back to Saints, I'm not sure a new coach can fix it with the existing squad or if they are just demoralized and disinterested under KC and just need new leadership. I think the truth is its the former and 6 or 7 players have to go at the end of the season such as Owens, Wilkin, Turner, Richards, Vea, Burns & Peyroux. My mind is not made up about Thompson and Tasi but they need to improve or go or indeed some of the kids such as Spedding (I've not seen much of the others) but Ashworth and Knowles should not be tainted by KC's "tutelage" yet.

So, I've got 4 undecided plus about 6 kids plus others which would be good enough under a good coach e.g. Lomax, Makinson, Percival, Swift, Walsh, Roby, Walmsley, Armor, Greenwood, Fages, Savelio, LMS, Dawson, (probably as he has much improved) and also McDonnell as a back up only.
Can't fault LMS for effort but he is seriously lacking a rugby brain or indeed any sort of brain, even though I like him a lot !!

Looking at Wakefield's team before Chester arrived, they didn't look like they had a win in them. It happens an awful lot in sport where players lift their game for a new coach. The opportunity of a fresh slate coupled with the introduction of fresh ideas, motivation and belief can lift a stagnant team to new heights.

Walmsley as an example hasn't turned into an average player overnight.

That said, I don't believe McManus will sack him. He's a business man who doesn't seem to let emotion effect his decisions to much. He could have quite easily sacked Brown in his first season when many (including myself) was crying out for it. He stuck with it and was proved right.

Re: Hello Eamonn, hello! : Sun Jun 05, 2016 6:38 am  

Saddened! wrote:

I held off posting last night as every sentence I could come up with featured words ending in 'king' and 'ite'. Last night was simply woeful, as in worst I've ever seen in 35 years woeful. Another lifeless, throwaway performance from a group of players who clearly want their coach sacked and have absolutely no pride in themselves, their teammates or the club. The similarities with the situation at Everton are there for all to see. Unhappy fans, unhappy players, a deluded coach making a complete mockery of himself in interviews and results showing the mess the club is in. How McManus has managed to reach Saturday evening without sacking everyone at the club is beyond me. If there is any intention to make the club a success, Cunningham has to be gone by Monday. If he's allowed to once again insult the club's fans and talk rubbish in interviews after his players delivered another limp performance the club really is in trouble.

I slept on it for 24 hours and then decided to pack it in watching this so called saints team this season, it was KC's further official comment on the official website saying "the fans are entitled to have an opinion" I took that has having a sign of being dismissive not giving fans any face value and thus will carry on regardless. So in my opinion they are not worth watching a viewpoint seen by many others.

For McManus he probably knew there was a risk element in giving KC the job and went with it, the fans have shown some tolerance in his first season. But we have the worst scenario where KC can't think realistically and objectively, we have player unrest, the club profile is damaged for future players, attendances most definitely will drop next season, it must be coming to the point where McManus is seeing the damage will not be a quick fix and the future is more embarrassment to a once proud club that had real values.

Re: Hello Eamonn, hello! : Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:00 am  

Samoan was sitting just behind us and I can assure you he was as far from happy. At one point he had his head in his hands and when the chanting started he looked furious.

Re: Hello Eamonn, hello! : Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:29 am  

The writing has been on the wall for a while now, it is simple Cunningham is clueless when it comes to coaching, I had some hope when Long was appointed but what does he do.

Agree fully the ground is soulless, a friend who has stopped going at all this season stood in the same place all his life, popular side at Knowsley Road, though he was from Windle he said many of those supporters came from the Fingerpost area and they drove the atmosphere, remember the days the players would come over to that side, when he first went to the new ground he could not find one supporter he stood with, he tried the stands and was sick of people pushing back and throw all the game for more drinks, so he gave up and just walks down to the Seven Stars when Saints are on Sky, a lot cheaper.

Does anyone care? no, that is the way it comes over, there is no leadership in the management structure, and the coaching team seem so flat.

I wonder if anyone from the club ever reads social media, again do they even care, press conferences after matches and stupid, yes stupid comments from KC say so much about him.

Re: Hello Eamonn, hello! : Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:49 pm  

I believe that the club needs to hire a director of football. Someone to come in and take control of the football operations at the club.

Off the field Saints have excelled at building a new stadium (Eamon) creating a world class youth system (First Rush now Traynor) however the hiring of Coaches and Players have been poor for 10 years now. We need a fresh perspective on both of these fronts.

Re: Hello Eamonn, hello! : Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:58 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

I held off posting last night as every sentence I could come up with featured words ending in 'king' and 'ite'. Last night was simply woeful, as in worst I've ever seen in 35 years woeful. Another lifeless, throwaway performance from a group of players who clearly want their coach sacked and have absolutely no pride in themselves, their teammates or the club. The similarities with the situation at Everton are there for all to see. Unhappy fans, unhappy players, a deluded coach making a complete mockery of himself in interviews and results showing the mess the club is in. How McManus has managed to reach Saturday evening without sacking everyone at the club is beyond me. If there is any intention to make the club a success, Cunningham has to be gone by Monday. If he's allowed to once again insult the club's fans and talk rubbish in interviews after his players delivered another limp performance the club really is in trouble.

But what annoys me the most is something different. It's not Alex Walmsley's body language or efforts in games, it's not the prospect of the worst player in SL getting a contract extension with us, it's the fans. The move from Knowsley Road to the Library killed the very soul of the club and this manifests itself most in the support, or lack of it. I've never known a sporting venue to be so devoid of spirit and passion. If we'd put in a string of performances like we have this season, there would have been sit-ins, riots, mass season ticket burnings and proper sack the board chants. All that happened last night was a few half hearted boos when KC came on the big screen. It seriously wouldn't surprise me if McManus had absolutely no idea of how unhappy everyone is with the club as the fans are so silent. McManus is going to be able to get away with it, people just won't make enough noise to force the change. It wouldn't surprise me if we're in Bradford's position in 2 years time and no one associated with the club could feel hard done to.

Hang on ... weren't you praising the club's turnaround in attacking play not five weeks ago?

Re: Hello Eamonn, hello! : Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:10 am  

all of the people I go to games with have decided they won't be renewing if things don't change quickly. the scary thing is how many fans will be thinking the same. Eamon may be in for a shock if he's relying on our 'loyalty'.